Love Kills Slowly
by Sonia Raziella
Summary: It wasn't that I wanted to die. I didn't. But did I really want to live forever? I had no family–it was too dangerous. Meaning I couldn't let the Cullens in. I couldn't put them in danger like that. I had no freedom–my fate was more or less decided. The future was set. So living forever...there really was no point. If you can live forever, what do you live for?
1. Preface: Funeral

**Disclaimer: Twilight belongs to Stephenie Meyer**

**Let me know what you guys think, okay? Review! Pretty pretty please? I want to whether or not you guys think I should continue this story. The story line just... smacked me in the face about a half an hour ago. (That's me apologizing for the extreme shortness. Then again, it's the preface.)**

**-Soni**

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**·§ Love Kills Slowly §·**

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"Unbeing dead isn't being alive."

– E.E. Cummings –

**...**

**Preface: Funeral**

**...**

**April 6, 1917**

**...**

**Third Person POV**

**...**

The day was peaceful. Clear sky, although there was no sun. Birds chirping, although none could be seen. The war always in the distance, a constant disturbance in the background.

The perfect day for a funeral.

The mourners were all dressed in black. Some were sobbing, while many still had tears streaming down their faces. The loss of an impeccable family had devastated the town. The priest hung his head low, his eyes closed.

"Let us commend Isabella Marie Swan to the mercy of God."

After the tragic scene had been discovered the past November, the police could only account for six bodies – the three of the killers and the three of the family. However, there were four family members total. Everyone had hoped, everyone had _prayed_, that at least _she_ had survived.

Last night, their hopes had been crushed, their prayers left unanswered.

One of the few remaining search parties had apparently found the body of the missing girl.

Some had half-heartedly argued that she was still alive; the body had been badly burned, so the doctors had based their assumption on body size. The police had wanted the case, no matter how cruel and heart-wrenching, to be closed. There had been no hard evidence that the body was that of Isabella Swan.

Then again, there had been no evidence that body was _not_ hers, either. It had been a long winter; impossible for anyone living in the woods the whole season to survive. It was only logical to assume the body was hers.

And so, the town had grieved over the losses: a successful but modest businessman, a welcoming and sociable woman, a newborn baby girl, and of course, Isabella, the flawless child.

"We therefore commit her body to the ground; earth to earth, ashes to ashes, dust to dust; in the sure and certain hope of the Resurrection to eternal life."

At the end of the service, some went home. Others went to the houses of their fellow friends for comfort. Still others stayed to try and grasp the reality of what had happened.

No one noticed the young lady in the shadows.

No one noticed how she kept her distance from the rest of the mourners.

No one noticed how she hadn't shed even one tear.

No one noticed how behind the dark veil masking her face, she was smirking at the priest's choice of words.

No one noticed that the young lady stayed in the shadows because she _had_ to.

No one noticed how she kept her distance from everyone else because otherwise, she would be putting them in danger.

No one noticed how she hadn't shed any tears because she _couldn't _shed any tears.

No one noticed how she was smirking because of the irony in the words the priest had said.

_Eternal life._

It was what everyone dreamed about, what everyone wished for. But it was something nobody truly wanted or needed.

When you can live forever, what do you live for?


	2. Choices

**Disclaimer: Twilight belongs to Stephenie Meyer**

**Thank you guys so much for reviewing, favoriting, and following this story. You guys are the best! But please, review? Thank you, scareDcat, for reviewing! You, my friend, are awesome.**

**I know this chapter is short, especially for a first chapter, but I felt like you guys had to get a hang of Bella's thought process and some important dates before the plot actually starts moving. And I know the Cullens get involved quickly, but I felt like it had to happen. **

*****Contest: Can anyone can tell me why the date September 1, 1939 is so significant in real life? Write an answer in your review!*****

*****Can anyone guess Bella's power/talent/gift? Answer in your review!*****

**And hey, check out my other story, _Alone_, and let me know what you think. Seriously, be honest. Kay kay?**

**-Soni**

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**·§ Love Kills Slowly §·**

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"That's life for you. All the happiness you gather to yourself, it will sweep it away like it's nothing. If you ask me, I don't think there are any such things as curses. I think there is only life. That's enough."

– Junot Díaz –

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**Chapter 1: Choices**

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**July 31, 2012**

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**Bella POV**

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One hundred and ten years and eight months. That's how long I had been a vampire.

Seventy-two years and eleven months. That's how long I had been running.

November 13, 1916. The date that changed my life forever.

September 1, 1939. The date that changed my life again.

July 31, 2012. What the hell was wrong with my life?

Stopping at a tree, I contemplated my predicament.

Seven. How I hate that number now. These seven vampires would ruin my life. There was no way to get to Canada without going through their territory.

Sliding down with my back against the tree, I put my head in my hands as I considered my options.

I could go through Washington as I initially planned, before my radar picked up those vampires. I could avoid hunting in the area – surely they would realize that I was just passing through and not attack, right?

Or I could take the long way and go all the way around Washington; but why would I want to do that? After all these years of being pushed around, can't I at least get to control this one aspect of my life? Or will someone control _how_ I'm able to get to a destination as well?

There was no harm in cutting through Washington to get to Canada if you ignore the important facts. Like the fact that it was seven vampires against one.

The corner of my mouth pulled up in a smirk. But if they kill me, wouldn't it be a favor?

I would no longer have to run; I would no longer have to hide. I would no longer have to keep taking the innocent lives of the poor humans. Granted, some humans deserved it. But the others… they were just in the wrong place at the wrong time.

My resolve hardened. I would go through Washington. Whether or not I got killed trying, I would not let these seven vampires that I didn't even know have any power over me.

I wanted to be independent. I wanted to be free to go where I pleased without having to watch my back. I wanted to at least have the _choice_ to enjoy my miserable existence, even if it was never going to happen. First, fate had taken away my human life, my human family, everyone I had ever loved. Next, it had taken away any freedom I might've had in my vampire life. I just wanted to have the power to make my own decisions, to choose my own course of life.

Was that too much to ask for?


	3. Vision

**Disclaimer: Twilight belongs to Stephenie Meyer**

**And ladies and gentlemen... the winner of the last chapter's contest is... **

**Coolgle! YAY!**

**September 1, 1939 was important because it was when World War II officially started (sorry about the little history lesson). I didn't do much more research on that, but Coolgle gave a LOT more details. To Coolgle: You, my friend, ARE AMAZING! **

**September 1, 1939... what could've happened to Bella? **

**And guys... please review. Please? I'm updating like, almost every day with this story (especially because the chapters aren't that long; they won't be until Bella and the Cullens meet). If you guys review, I'll keep trying my best to update everyday or every other day. Please review? You don't even have to log in or have an account. Please? *puppy eyes***

**-Soni**

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**·§ Love Kills Slowly §·**

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"I'm just going to do what I want now, and let the chips fall where they may."

– Edward Cullen, _Twilight_, Chapter 5, p.88 –

**...**

**Chapter 2: Vision**

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**July 31, 2012**

**...**

**Edward POV**

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"Alice, I know that you have a highly unhealthy obsession with shopping. I've gotten used to it. But under no circumstance does that mean you get to drag me into it too."

"But Edward –"

"I also know that you're really excited for the new 'start of school' fashions. I honestly don't care what you pick out for me, so long as it's normal."

"But… but…"

"You can see the future Alice. You _know_ that I won't be coming shopping."

Alice sighed as she rested her elbows on my piano.

"I know. It doesn't hurt to try, though." She shrugged.

We spent a few more moments in a comfortable silence. Carlisle was in his study, of course, and Esme was deciding how to redecorate the guest bedroom. Rosalie and Emmett were working in the garage while Jasper was playing chess against himself. And last but not least, Alice was here, pressuring me into coming shopping with her.

That was when she let out a gasp.

_The visions… they're stronger. _Her eyes were glazed over as the same images from the past few weeks hit her again, this time solid and clear.

_A young girl with her head in her hands, sitting at the base of a tree. She was obviously a vampire._

_The same girl, walking through a wooded area. She seemed to be warily watching her surroundings._

_The girl was then in the living room _– our living room – _sitting on the sofa, steadily gazing at the rest of us while we stared at her in shock._

After that, it was just a muddle of random flashes.

_Too many decisions,_ Alice thought, annoyed with her visions. _Beyond the living room scene, it's just chaos. It depends on too many decisions: ours, hers, and someone else's…_

"Someone else?"

Alice looked up at me, nodding. _Yeah. I can't see who, but I can tell. If it was just our decisions and the girl's, it would be pretty straightforward – she would want to survive, right? And we would be as diplomatic as possible. So it would end up being a peaceful meeting. But since it's not, I would think that someone else could be involved._

"But the immediate future is set?"

_She'll be approaching Forks tomorrow._

My eyes widened. "I suppose it would be a good idea to tell everyone else?"

Alice nodded. _I'll get everyone to the dining room._

"Family meeting in the dining room." She spoke the words in a normal, conversational volume, but everyone heard her.

In a few seconds, we were all seated around the dining table. Carlisle looked to Alice.

"Is it the visions?" he asked calmly.

"It's definite. By tonight, the girl will be in Washington. Tomorrow afternoon or so, she'll be in the woods just beyond the town limits."

Carlisle processed this new information, deciding the best course of action.

"We should probably meet her in the woods. You said she followed the regular diet?" He looked up at her for confirmation. Alice nodded in response. "Then we should meet her there, before she gets in the vicinity of the town, and let her know that we would appreciate it if she didn't hunt in the area here."

"But didn't Alice say that we were all going to be in the living room or something? _With_ the girl?" Rosalie asked, her eyebrows furrowed in confusion. Everyone turned to Alice.

"Most likely, yes. But that depends on how the encounter in the woods goes," Alice replied.

"How many of us are going?" Esme asked slowly. I could tell from her thoughts that she wanted to come along and see this mysterious young girl that had been a major topic of discussion for the past few weeks. She also didn't like how the girl was traveling alone at such a young age, regardless of the fact that she was a vampire. Typical Esme.

"We should all go," Jasper said, thinking of the possibilities. "If she sees us all at once, there is a chance she could freak. But we don't know what powers she has or what her intentions are. It's better if we all go meet this girl together so that we have the strength in numbers and she'll be reluctant to fight."

Emmett snorted. "Yeah, like she'd even try once she sees this," he said, gesturing to his muscles. _Besides, _he thought, _you guys said she looked really young. Like sixteen or seventeen. Isn't that… _really _young?_

I frowned, thinking about it. That _was_ a really young age to be changed at. I wondered what actually happened to her…

If only I had known earlier how complicated the answer to that question was.

… I probably would've asked it anyway.


	4. Meeting

**Disclaimer: Twilight belongs to Stephenie Meyer**

**Hey guys! Thank you so much for all of the reviews! I am so glad you like this story.**

**I know the meeting with the Cullens seems a bit rushed, but it's all about how Alice's visions become blurry. Did you ever wonder if she intentionally hid her thoughts? Dun dun duuun.**

**And please, please, review. I don't care if it's just to say hi, I don't care if it's to criticize certain areas since I'm nowhere near being a perfect writer(but please no flames). Just review so that I at least know that someone is reading. Please?**

**Thank you so much for reading, though, if you are.**

**-Soni **

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**·§ Love Kills Slowly §·**

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"Of course, in a novel, people's hearts break, and they die and that is the end of it; and in a story this is very convenient. But in real life we do not die when all that makes life bright dies to us."

– Harriet Beecher Stowe, _Uncle Tom's Cabin_ –

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**Chapter 3: Meeting**

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**August 1, 2012**

**...**

**Bella POV**

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Forks. Of course they lived in Forks, Washington. The one town that was a perfect hunting spot – it had such a tiny police force – was taken by those seven despicable vampires.

I sighed as I walked through the woods. I didn't bother to run; it would only make them more cautious. Might as well put up a weak, innocent exterior. It could make them have some mercy on me.

Half of me was against the idea. _Mercy? You want them to have _mercy_? _

I wasn't the type of person who liked to be seen as a helpless, naïve young girl. Naïve is the absolute _last_ word I would use to describe myself. Life had thrown so much at me in my final moments… I had already seen the worst of the world.

"_Mother… Please wake up. Please," I whispered futilely. I knew it wouldn't make a difference; that she was already dead. But my heart… my mind… _I_ couldn't accept that. I couldn't accept the fact that the woman who had raised me, the woman that had loved me, the woman who had always been at my side my whole life… was gone. _

_Tears prickled at the back of my eyes, but I couldn't let them fall. It would show that I was weak. That I would crack easily. _

_I wouldn't crack. I wouldn't let these wicked men see that I was giving up – that my spirit was breaking. I wouldn't. _

_I couldn't._

The memory washed over me, still as fresh as if it had happened only yesterday instead of over a century ago. Whoever it was that said that human memories become dim after the transformation… that person was an idiot.

But I couldn't dwell on that now. I had bigger, more immediate problems. Like the fact that the vampires were getting closer. All seven of them were heading in my direction, spread apart. Surrounding me.

So they _were_ killers, weren't they?

The more reckless part of me–which I suppose was all of me–was relieved. I would no longer have to put up with the mess I had gotten myself into. And today had been a decent final day; I had even hunted a few miles away from Forks. I didn't think these vampires would be pleased with me hunting in their territory.

They were coming closer. Their lights were drawing nearer to my location on my mental map at a constant speed. Closing my eyes, I put all my energy into observing their movements. They were slowing down by now, as they were only a hundred yards or so away from me.

With a sigh, I got ready to face them; I relaxed my expression so that it was cold, emotionless. Dead.

Not that it wasn't my usual expression.

Their lights were now only about ten yards away from the small clearing I was in… and then they were here.

I heard the ruffling of leaves as they stepped into my view, one at a time.

The first one to come out was a young man, probably in his twenties. He had blond hair and golden eyes, and was surrounded by an aura of authority. The coven leader?

A few moments later, a young woman peeked out from behind him. She had a petite figure and caramel hair down to her shoulders as well as golden eyes. She also radiated a motherly air. But that couldn't be; she was a vampire. Vampires don't feel compassionate about others.

As the next person stepped out, I had to struggle to keep my eyes widening with shock. Not fear. Just. Shock. Although he was another young man with golden eyes, he was frightening. He was covered in scars; battle scars, I presumed. And if those were battle scars… he had fought thousands of vampires–and survived.

But I didn't let anything show on my face.

To his left, another girl appeared. This one had short, spiky, dark hair that framed her face perfectly and wide, golden eyes that were filled with excitement. She seemed _excited_ to see me, almost as if she knew me already. Weird. I made a mental note to stay away from her.

The next man didn't ease my growing fear of this coven. He was by far the _biggest_ man I'd seen. Easily twice the size of me and a little over a foot taller than me, too, with dark hair and, wait for it… golden eyes. He was quite...intimidating.

The woman that followed him out into the clearing was by far the most breathtaking vampire I had ever seen in my existence. Her long blonde hair tumbled down her back in soft waves while her raised eyebrows gave the impression that she might be slightly arrogant. Same golden eyes.

But nothing could have prepared me for the next person to step out from behind the trees.

He was different. I didn't know how. He just stood out from the rest of these vampires. He was lanky and more boyish than the others, and his eyes reminded me of topaz. And his bronze hair… I just wanted to run my fingers through it.

Wait. What did I just think?

I thanked whatever god was listening to me that I had years of experience in keeping my face expressionless.

He was looking at me oddly, almost like he didn't understand something.

I was in the middle of trying to figure out what was wrong with him when the apparent coven leader cleared his throat.

"Hello," he said, stepping forward slowly. I guess he was trying not to scare me. "We don't mean you any harm. We just wanted to let you know that we would appreciate it if you do not hunt in this area." He looked at me, as if asking whether I understood.

"I understand that you would not want me hunting in your territory," I answered softly. I kept my English accent at bay. "I will not harm any human within the town itself or the surrounding areas." I didn't move yet. If this was some sort of trick where they would lure me into a false sense of security, I didn't want to fall for it.

Although I didn't think I had let anything slip, the vampire with the scars spoke up. It was as if he sensed my distrust. "We aren't trying to trick you or anything. We just wanted to let you know that the humans in the area are under our protection."

"Under your protection?" I asked slowly, confused. If they were going to hunt them down, why would they protect them?

The leader nodded and smiled. "See, we follow a different diet. You've noticed that our eye color is different, am I correct?"

I gave a barely perceptible nod, wondering where this was going.

"It's because we don't hunt human blood."

Now, don't get me wrong. I've seen a lot of things in my time. Almost every wacky thing that existed. But _that_ was something I did not expect.

"So your eyes turn golden if you starve yourself?" I questioned incredulously.

They actually had the nerve to smile and let out a few chuckles while the big one _laughed_. He outright laughed at me! I could feel my temper threatening to flare before it was replaced by a feeling of calmness.

What in the world...?

I thought I saw the one with the scars shoot an annoyed glare toward the one that was still laughing. He shut up so quickly, I almost cracked a smile. Almost.

"No, you misunderstand," the leader said, still smiling. "We simply feed on animal blood as an alternative."

My eyes widened as he continued speaking.

"It allows us to act more civilized than most vampires who drink human blood, and it also allows us to maintain a permanent residence–"

"Permanent residence?" I cut in. These people… they couldn't be vampires. Civilized? Permanent residence? _Animal_ blood? What next, going to school? Working a job?

The woman next to him, who I assumed was his mate, offered me a small smile. "You can visit, if you would like. I hate to see you traveling around alone, and we have an extra guest bedroom, too." She looked at me warmly. She reminded me so much of my own mother…

I noticed a few others, particularly the blonde female and the scary, blond male, sigh in exasperation. It was quite clear they didn't want a stranger in their house.

"It's alright. I'm fine. I was just passing through–"

"At least let us send you off with something more comfortable to wear!" The tiny female piped up, hopeful. "Please? It'll help you blend in more, too!"

How I would blend in more dressed like them, I did not understand. They wore expensive designer clothes, probably hand-tailored to fit perfectly. If anything it would make me stand out, even _without_ the added vampire beauty.

But she seemed so much like Angelica would've had she grown up…

"I suppose it wouldn't hurt," I said at last. The girl squealed, jumping up and down. How something so trivial could make her that happy, I did not understand. But I felt the urge to smile back nonetheless. What was happening to me?

I blamed my memories.

"We'll show you the way to our house, if you would just follow us... By the way, I'm Carlisle. This is Esme," he gestured to the woman at his side, "my mate. These are Alice and Jasper," he motioned toward the tall blond with the scars and the short, pixie-like girl at his side. "Rosalie and Emmett." The blonde, Rosalie, didn't give me a second glance while Emmett, the seriously huge one, grinned and waved at me. "And this," Carlisle said, "is Edward." He nodded toward the last one with the bronze hair. Edward. That was his name.

"And you are…?"

Could I trust them? Looking over each one of them again, I felt another dose of calmness wash over me. I knew this wasn't me; I don't just become calm all of a sudden. But I decided to give into it. It couldn't hurt. Could it?

"Isabella."

Looking back on it, I wished I had never given them my real name.


	5. Beautiful

**Disclaimer: Twilight belongs to Stephenie Meyer**

**Hey guys! I am seriously loving your reviews. Legit. They put a smile on my face when I wake up and check my email every morning before going to school. Thank you so much!**

**And I've been searching quotes by Edward to put at the top of every Edward POV chapter... hope you guys like it.**

**Thank you ever so much to coolgle, Momma Laura, Avery0113, and lilythe4444 for reviewing! Love ya guys! And also thank you to FANFIC CRITIC (Guest) for reviewing and pointing out some really specific things like a real life critic. Love ya too!**

**Review!**

**-Soni**

**P.S. I personally love the ending to this chapter. (I know it sounds like I'm being really snobbish and everything; I'm so sorry. But it just popped into my head and I'm like, "Aww, that would be so sweet!") **

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**·§ Love Kills Slowly §·**

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"And so the lion fell in love with the lamb…"

– Edward Cullen, _Twilight_, Chapter 13, p.274 –

**...**

**Chapter 4: Beautiful**

**...**

**August 1, 2012**

**...**

**Edward POV**

**...**

Maybe I shouldn't have trusted Alice when she said, and I quote, "Don't worry, Edward. Everything will turn out just fine."

Because right now, I have no idea what's going on.

Jasper can feel her emotions. Alice can see her future, although it is a bit blurry. But I…I can't hear anything from her. Not a word. Not a thought.

_She's different, Edward. Not normal. At least that's what her emotions are indicating. It's like she's preparing herself for something…she can't know we're coming, can she? Because it seems like she does…_

I raised my eyebrows. "She can possibly have a special ability. I don't know what it would be, but it's a possibility," I whispered at vampire speed. We couldn't risk the girl hearing anything.

"Slow down." We just barely heard Alice's voice.

As we slowed down to a slower pace, I turned to her questioningly. "Why?"

"She…she stopped. She's just standing there, unmoving. It's like she's waiting for us," Alice said, frustrated. "She made the decision at the last minute."

"Why would she do that?" Jasper cut in, puzzled. "Any vampire would look at the fact that there's one of them and seven of us. Their first instinct would be to run in the other direction, not stay stationary."

Carlisle sighed. "Well, we should show ourselves in a logical order. I'll go first, then Esme. Jasper should step out next, followed by Alice. Emmett then Rosalie would be next, and last would be Edward."

_Aww, is Eddie feeling lonely right now?_

_Ignore him, Edward._

If it hadn't been for Alice's warning, I probably would've growled at Emmett. But I understood why Alice warned me; we were only fifty yards away. The girl would hear any sound we made from this point on.

That reminded me again how I couldn't hear her. Never in my existence had anyone been able to resist my ability. Which made me speculate about what her power could be…

As we approached the edge of the tree line, everyone simultaneously slowed even more, finally walking up until Carlisle motioned for us to stop. I felt Jasper send out a wave of calm, careful not to affect the girl yet. And then Carlisle stepped out.

We continued, one by one. Jasper kept me updated on her emotions.

_Nothing when she saw Carlisle. Slight sadness when she saw Esme._

I tilted my head unconsciously. Why would she be sad when she saw Esme?

_She's good at suppressing her emotions. When she saw me, I felt some surprise and maybe a hint of fear from her, but she quickly replaced it with indifference. Most vampires can't do that–hiding their emotions even to themselves. Usually there's something that causes it, kind of like in humans. Grief, loss, loneliness, suffering, emotional stress, PTSD…_ he trailed off, registering my annoyance.

_She's afraid of Alice, too, though this is probably more for her own sanity._ I almost laughed at that. She was a bright one.

_Slightly intimidated by Emmett, but no real emotion. And her facial expression hasn't changed. At all. Not even a blink._

_I don't know if she particularly likes Rosalie, but no emotion._

Knowing it was my turn, I walked forward into the clearing.

The first thing I noticed was…her.

She was stunning. Her wavy, dark mahogany hair flowed down her back and accentuated her heart-shaped face. Her features were perfectly balanced, and she had a timeless beauty. No matter what century she was in, she could've fit in perfect with. She also had such a tiny structure, being just a little taller than Esme. She watched each and every one of us with her wide, innocent eyes. I guess I couldn't exactly call her innocent since her eyes were red, but as she peeked out at us from behind her thick lashes, she just looked so young. So…fragile.

If I ever got my hands on whoever changed her…

Wait. Why did _I_ care?

_Edward? Are… are you okay? _Jasper was worried; of course he was. Me staring at a girl wasn't normal; neither were the emotions I had probably been sending out. _Awe, sorrow, protectiveness, a touch of anger and hatred… Edward, what's wrong with you?_

_He's just seen her, and he's already head over heels in love with her._ Emmett, realizing that I had probably heard him, addressed me directly. _ Aren't ya, Eddie?_

Remembering the girl in front of me was what kept me from jumping him.

Head over heels? I had just seen her. I didn't even know her name!

But there was a small voice in my mind considering it. _What if it's true? _Am _I head over heels for her?_

I shook off the thought. It was impossible.

That was when Carlisle stepped forward slowly. "Hello," he said politely. "We don't mean you any harm. We just wanted to let you know that we would appreciate it if you do not hunt in this area."

"I understand that you would not want me hunting in your territory." Her voice sounded like bells chiming in the spring breeze; it was beautiful. _She_ was beautiful.

This wasn't me. I don't think like this…

"I will not harm any human within the town itself or the surrounding areas."

Her voice was soft; angelic. I could listen to it all day without complaining.

Something _was_ wrong with me.

_She doesn't trust us. It's like she thinks we're trying to deceive her._ Jasper's thoughts rang out in my head.

_Me _trying to deceive _her_? I would fail. How can anyone lie to someone as perfect as her?

"We aren't trying to trick you are anything. We just want to let you know that the humans in the area are under our protection," Jasper said, trying to ease her doubts of us. She was smart; she picked up how he said we protected the humans in this area.

"Under your protection?" she questioned.

_How to explain… _"See, we follow a different diet. You've noticed that our eye color is different, am I correct?" Carlisle asked her. She just barely nodded.

"It's because we don't hunt human blood," Carlisle finished.

The girl's eyes widened in disbelief. "So your eyes turn golden if you starve yourself?"

I would've laughed. I almost did. But I just smiled, knowing that it would seem rude if I laughed since she didn't know _why_ we were laughing. Emmett, however, had no qualms about laughing.

It was only when Jasper glared at him, giving him a dose of seriousness, did he silence himself. _This girl's hilarious, Eddie. Good choice._

"No, you misunderstand," the Carlisle said, smiling. "We simply feed on animal blood as an alternative."

Her eyes grew big as Carlisle continued.

"It allows us to act more civilized than most vampires who drink human blood, and it also allows us to maintain a permanent residence –"

"Permanent residence?" she interrupted. I didn't mind that she interrupted. I was hanging onto her every word.

_Edward. We need to talk. Alone. The first second possible._ I guess I was really worrying Jasper with my unusual feelings.

"You can visit, if you would like," Esme finally said. "I hate to see you traveling around alone, and we have an extra guest bedroom, too." Of course Esme would offer her a place to stay. I wasn't arguing. But apparently, Jasper and Rosalie had second thoughts about the girl. It took every ounce of will power I had to not snarl at them when they exhaled loudly and rolled their eyes at Esme's suggestion.

The girl noticed too, unfortunately. "It's alright. I'm fine. I was just passing through –"

"At least let us send you off with something more comfortable to wear!" Alice cut her off. No matter how irritated I was at Alice for interrupting the girl, I was never more thankful for her obsession with fashion. "Please? It'll help you blend in more, too!"

She seemed to be thinking over it. At last, she said, "I suppose it wouldn't hurt."

I was elated.

I was also acting _really_ weird today.

Alice started jumping up and down, excited. Her visions might start clearing up soon.

"We'll show you the way to our house, if you would just follow us… By the way, I'm Carlisle. This is Esme, my mate. These are Alice and Jasper, Rosalie and Emmett, and this is Edward." Carlisle introduced us all one at a time by gesturing to us.

"And you are?" He asked the girl kindly.

She seemed to be fighting an internal conflict before she answered.

"Isabella."

Isabella.

Is a bella.

She _was_ a beauty.


	6. Introductions

**Disclaimer: Twilight belongs to Stephenie Meyer**

**Hey guys! I am so sorry for the super late update but the internet was so slow and just wouldn't let me on this website. Sorry! But anyway, here is Chapter 5! And more about Carlisle's thoughts (you'll see what I'm talking about) will be revealed soon. **

**-Soni**

* * *

…

**·§ Love Kills Slowly §·**

…

* * *

"There is never a time or place for true love. It happens accidentally, in a heartbeat, in a single flashing, throbbing moment."  
– Sarah Dessen, _The Truth About Forever_ –

**...**

**Chapter 5: Introductions**

**...**

**August 1, 2012**

**...**

**Bella POV**

**...**

I didn't understand this family. Most of all, I didn't understand why I trusted them so suddenly. A few minutes ago, I had been certain they were going to kill me. And now… here I was, casually sitting on Alice's bed listening to her search through her closet as if nothing could be more natural.

Alice suddenly poked her head out to size me up. "Maybe we should go with turquoise? It would go perfectly with your hair… or crimson red? Or black? Wait, blue! Sapphire blue! No, lime green! Violet? How about –" she cut herself off as her eyes glazed over. Before I could start panicking over what could've happened, she snapped out of it.

"Black. You'll complain about everything else."

I watched her as she disappeared once more into her closet. After a few seconds passed, reappeared at the door, waiting. "Are you coming?"

Wary, I stood up and followed her into her…

Closet.

This place was no closet; it was an at-home department store. _Designer _department store.

Prada, Versace, Gucci, Louis Vuitton, Giorgio Armani, Dolce and Gabbana, Chanel, Guess, Ralph Lauren… to name a few among the hundreds of others that I didn't recognize; they were probably custom made.

Alice, grabbing my hand, dragged me to the middle of her closet. Observing the rows and rows of clothes, I noticed that the deeper, you went, the… cheaper… the clothes got. Although I didn't really know if I could say _cheaper_; even the least expensive garment in here probably cost as much as an apartment.

…In Manhattan.

Finally, she stopped. "There's _got_ to be something acceptable in here…" she said, rummaging through a rack of clothes. "Ta-da!" she announced, holding up what she probably thought was the most decent thing to wear. Don't get me wrong; it was gorgeous. Perfect. If only it didn't look so damn expensive.

I swallowed nervously. "Maybe something less… _extravagant_ would be more appropriate? It's beautiful, Alice, but–"

"No buts. There is nothing Rosalie owns that is less expensive, and mine are, how you would say, _worse_. So this is what you're wearing, got it?" I nodded. I had already figured out that arguing with Alice was like trying to reason with a brick wall–impossible.

"Good. Now get in the shower, Isabella. I'll have your outfit laid out on the bed." Alice smiled at me one last time before running back into her closet. Sighing, I headed to the bathroom before she could torture me anymore.

…

I looked at myself in the mirror again. My brown hair. My pale skin. My red eyes.

What had he seen in me?

I was just… me. Plain, I guess–by vampire standards. And a monster. I never wanted this. Not this life, not this fate, not _him_.

But he wanted _me_ nonetheless. _Why?_

As my anger and frustration bubbled up, Alice called my name.

"Isabella? Are you okay?"

Calming myself down, I opened the door to the bathroom and stepped outside. A wide grin formed on Alice's face.

"Well. You look fabulous, if I do say so myself," Alice complimented. I just kept looking down. _Walls up, Isabella. Put your walls up. Don't let them in._

I didn't say anything.

Alice, realizing that I wasn't going to speak unless absolutely necessary, just sighed. "Do you want to come to the living room? Everyone's there. We could introduce ourselves, you could introduce _your_self, and we could just talk about any plans."

Yeah. Right. My plans so far: Keep evading _him_ for the rest of eternity by always running in the opposite direction. Oh, and avoid his… his… _minions_. A _very_ entertaining story to tell someone you barely know.

Then again… could they help? No, no, no. That was just wishful thinking.

But… could I, just this once, maybe get to know this coven? I knew it could put them in danger… but that was only if they found anything out. As long as I kept my secrets and past to myself, they would be fine.

Hesitantly, I smiled, confirming that I was okay with it. Alice's face brightened up, happiness radiating from her smile.

"Come on, then! They're waiting!" She exclaimed, dragging me out of her room and leading me down the stairs. I complied without protest; I had no way of knowing what this coven was capable of if I objected to anything.

Maybe this was a bad idea.

But I had no way to doubt myself; Alice had my hand firmly grasped in hers, leaving no room for escape. It was as if she _knew_ what I was debating.

Everyone looked up as I entered the room. Their faces seemed pleasant for the most part, but the unease wouldn't leave me. Esme, the one with the caramel-colored hair, smiled at me.

_Don't smile back, Isabella. Do. Not. Smile. Back. You'll just let them in and hurt them in the long run. Do you want to do that?_

_Smile back; you don't want to hurt her feelings, do you? Screw the long run – you'll be hurting them _now_._

_You barely know them. You can't trust them._

_They've done nothing to make you not trust them._

_You don't know if they're hostile or not._

_They let me _shower_ in their home. They gave me their own _clothes_._

I offered her a small smile.

In the next second, Alice had me seated between her and Esme on the sofa. Surrounded. Unable to escape.

… I really had to stop thinking like that. Obviously, my smile had been misinterpreted as: _I'm perfectly fine being wedged between you two vampires that I have never met before._ Just my luck.

Carlisle, who I knew by now was the coven leader, cleared his throat. "So, Isabella, right?"

I nodded stiffly. Why did these vampires have to be so nice? I guess Jasper, the seriously scary one, had the same thoughts as me because he was the one who spoke next.

"You were _just_ passing through Forks, I take it?" he asked, the doubt in his voice clear. I almost smirked at him… but that would've been showing emotion. _Emotion is bad, Isabella. You showed emotion when you were human, didn't you? And look where that got you._

"Yes."

"And why would that be?"

"Jasper!" I heard Esme chastise sharply from beside me. But he didn't waver.

"It is fine," I said, my English accent unconsciously slipping through. "You have a right to be suspicious. For your information," I faced Jasper again, ignoring the frightening scars on him and the fact that he could probably rip me apart in seconds, "I was heading to Canada."

"Any reason in particular?" Jasper questioned again. I heard Alice giggle as… wait, did Edward just growl at him?

"I've never been to Canada before. And I've been in the U.S. for a while now; I feel like it's time for a change." Lies. All lies, except for the Canada part. I _have_ never been to Canada before, as a matter of fact. But the real reason was that _he's_ never been to Canada before, either. He has no connections there, no way to reach me. I'd be able to relax for once, even if it would only be for a while.

Jasper bought it. For now, that is. I could see in his eyes that he knew that wasn't the whole truth, but that he also wasn't going to push me any further. Carlisle chose that time to speak.

"You have a British accent," he stated, surprised. "You used to live in England?"

"London," I elaborated, mentally slapping myself for being so careless.

"And when was this, if I may ask?"

I felt a calm, relaxing mood envelop the room. I knew I should've been suspicious, but honestly, it was a nice change to not feel the constant anxiety resting on my shoulders. It was the only reason I decided answer.

"1916."

They all stared at me, speechless. Jasper did a double-take.

"_1916?_" he asked incredulously.

I felt a smirk forming on my face at his disbelief. "Yes, 1916. Is there a problem?"

"Is that when you were changed or born?" Well, nosy much? But the pleasant atmosphere in the living room took away any motive to be rude and not reply.

"Changed."

"Then when were you born?"

"Jasper," Carlisle warned.

"1900." That shut them up.

"Really?" Edward spoke at last. I tried not to react to his voice.

"Yes. Why is that so surprising to everyone?" I looked around at everyone, puzzled. I tried my best not to meet Edward's eyes.

"You… you just don't seem that _old_," Emmett finally answered.

I smiled despite the fact that my mind was screaming at me: _What are you doing Isabella?! Y-y-you're just… giving them information about yourself like you've known them forever! You can't let down you're guard, Isabella!_

"Is that the only reason?" I asked.

"In 1916, you were in… _London_?" Carlisle asked slowly. I nodded, not sure what this was leading to.

"That was during World War I."

_Shoot._ _Act natural. Pretend like that bit of information means nothing._

"So?" I asked.

"Nothing, nothing. I just thought… never mind, it's nothing." The way he acted, though, convinced me that it was a lot more than _nothing_.

I let it go. If he didn't feel comfortable talking about it, maybe I didn't need to know what he was thinking. I just absentmindedly stared at my feet for a few seconds before I realized that something was off on my mental map.

I felt my eyebrows crease as I zoomed out, figuratively speaking, to get a better view of the surrounding area. I gasped, audibly, as I recognized the problem. The same problem I had been running away from for almost seventy-three years. I needed to get out of here. _Now_.

"Are you okay, Isabella?" Esme asked me softly.

I abruptly stood up. "I need to leave. Now."

Everyone stood up at the same second I did. "What do you mean, _now_? Is something the matter?" Carlisle asked, every the diplomat.

"Yes. I mean, no, nothing is wrong. But I need to go. Thank you all so much for your hospitality. I can never repay you enough," I said, backing up toward the door. "I sincerely hope you have a lovely day and that we can meet again some other time, perhaps?"

Exiting the house, I shut the door behind me and was off, not waiting for an answer.


	7. Abrupt Departure

**Disclaimer****: Twilight belongs to Stephenie Meyer**

**...**

_**This Chapter is Dedicated to:**_

_**Avery0113 [You are seriously the best reviewer ever. Your reviews are like paragraphs, girl! And you are a genius for helping me make a decision for the character! (Shhh! Don't tell anyone about it!)]**_

_**penny. bear.37 [You even reviewed for Alone! I love you! You're like, a multiple dedication winner! Thank you so much! And FanFict**__**i**__**on isn't letting me put the dot between penny and bear without an extra space... sorry about that!]**_

_**I-am-Derpette [Thank you so much for reviewing for more than one chapter! And I love your penname!]**_

_**coolgle [You. Are. Amazing. There is just no way to describe a person who reviews to basically every single story. I am speechless. LOVE YA!]**_

_**...**_

******Hey everyone! I don't know if you read my other story, Alone, but I mentioned that I was going to cut back on A/N s on there (I write a lot on there) and start dedicating chapters 'cause you guys are just so amazing. So why not do it on this story too? If you review a chapter, the next one will be dedicated to you. This is just to express thanks and everything; I can't thank you guys enough!**

******-Soni**

* * *

…

**·§ Love Kills Slowly §·**

…

* * *

"You take everything so coolly — it's unnatural. It makes me wonder what you're really thinking."

– Edward Cullen, _Twilight_, Chapter 10, p.198 –

**...**

**Chapter 6: Abrupt Departure**

**...**

**August 1, 2012**

**...**

**Edward PO****V**

**...**

"One more thought, Emmett, and I will come over there and tear you apart myself. Slowly."

"Well, Eddie, isn't _that_ a nice thing to say to your brother," Emmett replied, smug. "And who told you to invade my head?"

I shut my eyes tightly as I struggled not to walk over to him and rip him to shreds. _Calm down, Edward. Your emotions are everywhere. What could Emmett be thinking that would make you _this_ angry?_

Oh, Emmett's thoughts are _definitely_ worthy of getting torn apart.

_Are you regretting your ability yet, Ed? Huh? I wonder how Isabella will react when you tell her you can read minds… wait a minute! You can't read her mind! That's hilarious! _

I growled softly.

_Awww, Eddie is really in love, isn't he? _

"Emmett," I warned.

"I would stop, Em," Alice put in. "I don't think he can handle any more of what you're doing."

"Will do," Emmett said as he grinned at me. _Is Eddie too weak to handle Emmett's mental prowess? _

I made up my mind to just ignore him.

"So this Isabella," Rosalie spoke up from her spot next to Emmett on the sofa. "Will she be staying here?" Her face seemed pained at the very thought.

"She seems like a lovely young girl, Rose," Esme said, shaking her head at Rosalie disapprovingly. "Of course we would offer her the option of staying, but only if she chooses to do so." She leaned into Carlisle, who wrapped his arm around her shoulders.

"It's not like we'd force her," he added, supporting Esme.

Rosalie looked at her perfectly manicured nails thoughtfully. "Well," she sighed. "Let's hope she hates us."

"Rose!" Esme scolded. "She's a guest!"

"A guest that can be a potential threat." Jasper was as guarded as ever.

"But Jazz–"

"Alice, we can't take any risks, okay?" Jasper interrupted her. "We don't know _who_ she is–"

"Her name is Isabella–"

"_Why_ she's here–"

"She was on her way to Canada–"

"Or if she bears any ill will toward us."

"She just met us, Jazz."

Jasper sighed. "Alice, if you would please just _listen_ to what I'm trying to–"

He cut himself off as his eyes narrowed in confusion. _Resentment… frustration… so much!_

At the same time, Alice was pulled into a vision of Isabella. It was of her, alone in the bathroom. Although the overall image was rather fuzzy, it was obvious that the mirror there was shattered.

Alice, with one glance at Jasper, flew up the stairs.

"Isabella?" I heard her ask. "Are you okay?" While there was no response, the sound of the door swinging open could be heard. Alice immediately started to block her thoughts, translating the Koran into Mandarin.

"Well. You look fabulous, if I do say so myself," I heard Alice say again, complimenting Isabella. Still no response. Alice finally sighed. "Do you want to come to the living room? Everyone's there. We could introduce ourselves, you could introduce _your_self, and we could just talk about any plans."

Rosalie's eyes widened as she glared in the general direction of Alice. Jasper smacked his hand to his forehead soundlessly.

Even though we heard nothing for a few seconds, it was clear she agreed because Alice's excitement could be felt by everyone even _without_ powers. "Come on, then! They're waiting!" We swiftly rearranged our positions so that if she chose, Isabella would have the choice to sit by any of us.

I glanced up when I sensed that she was in the room. And it became more than just a glance. I couldn't look away.

Her pale skin contrasted sharply against the black ruffled top, while the silk of the top complimented her flawless skin. Closely observed, her long mahogany hair actually had a few different streaks of color to it; some darker brown, some lighter. Her eyes, while red, still hypnotized me, and her lips…

Snap out of it, stupid.

I returned to my task of trying to hear her thoughts. Anything to keep me from staring at her.

_Oh, poor girl. She seems so uncomfortable._ Esme smiled at Isabella, trying to make her more at home.

After a moment of what seemed like an internal debate, she smiled back. Which, of course, my sister took as a sign of ease.

And so that is why Alice Cullen yanked Isabella to the sofa where Esme was sitting and made Isabella sit between the two of them. Without warning.

Not wanting any misunderstandings to happen, Carlisle cleared his throat and began talking. "So, Isabella, right?"

She nodded, even if it was a bit unnatural. She still didn't trust us completely.

Jasper, whose thoughts were bewildered by Carlisle's kind approach, took the task of questioning her. "You were _just_ passing through Forks, I take it?" His tone was skeptical.

"Yes." Her voice rang out, angelic as ever.

"And why would that be?" Jasper asked again, leaning forward.

"Jasper!" Esme scolded. But he didn't back down.

"It is fine," Isabella said. An English accent was barely distinguishable. "You have a right to be suspicious. For your information," she said, facing Jasper again, "I was heading to Canada."

_The chick's got guts!_ Emmett's thoughts were impressed. _She stood up to Jasper! Or maybe Jazz is just losing his touch…_

"Any reason in particular?" Jasper questioned, still doubtful. A growl involuntarily slipped through my teeth. While Jasper's thoughts were a little surprised, Alice's thoughts were giddy. But before I could think that through, Isabella replied.

"I've never been to Canada before. And I've been in the U.S. for a while now; I feel like it's time for a change."

_British accent… it's very prominent if you listen closely. Did she live in England?_ Carlisle's thoughts were scattered, jumping from one conclusion to the next. His questions didn't make it any clearer.

"You have a British accent," he said at last. "You used to live in England?"

"London," she corrected immediately.

"And when was this, if I may ask?" At least Carlisle was respectful about asking questions.

At first it seemed like Isabella wasn't going to answer him. That was when Jasper released a dose of calmness, which shrouded the room in a pleasant atmosphere. _She's trying to resist,_ Jasper thought. _She's getting suspicious._ _But this'll do for now_.

Why did I feel the need to slap Jasper for trying to manipulate my Isabella?

Hold up… did I just call her _my_ Isabella?

"1916."

Her voice brought me out of my thoughts. It took a second to realize that she was answering Carlisle's question… which meant she was in London in 1916.

I myself had to refrain from gaping at her.

A girl who looked this young… she couldn't be that old, could she?

A vampire is immortal, you big goof. Her young appearance only means she was changed when she was young.

"_1916?_" Jasper asked, dubious.

Isabella actually smirked at him. "Yes, 1916. Is there a problem?"

"Is that when you were changed or born?"

"Changed."

"Then when were you born?"

"Jasper," Carlisle said warningly.

"1901."

Well… to say we were speechless was an understatement. In Alice's descriptions of her visions, she said Isabella appeared to be very young. I guess it was wrong to just assume that she was younger than us…

She had been born the same year as I.

"Really?" I asked slowly. I didn't understand why it was so hard to accept that she was about the same age as me.

"Yes. Why is that so surprising to everyone?" Good question.

She looked around at all of us, clearly baffled. It was silent until Emmett spoke. "You… you just don't seem that _old_," he said, saying what was on all of our minds.

Isabella just smiled. And that smile… I couldn't even think straight through it.

"Is that the only reason?"

_1916… London… I wonder…_ "In 1916, you were in… _London_?" Carlisle asked, looking at Isabella. She just nodded. "That was during World War I."

No matter how we looked on the outside, the rest of the family froze. _World War I._ She was in _London_ during _World War I_… as a _human_. If this had anything to do with her change…

_She's nervous, Edward. It's like she didn't realize we would catch onto that. _Jasper was trying to think of a reason why she would be nervous over something like this.

"So?" she asked, as if it was perfectly natural to be having this conversation.

Carlisle's thoughts were far from comprehensible. _London… 1916… Isabella? Could she be… no. It's not like I knew her anyway… _"Nothing, nothing. I just thought… never mind, it's nothing."

I was trying not to stare too obviously at Carlisle. What did he mean? Had he known Isabella while she was a human?

It was apparent that Isabella didn't believe Carlisle, either, when he said nothing, but she didn't push it. She idly stared at her feet.

I was about to start a nonverbal conversation with Carlisle when I heard her gasp. My neck snapped toward her, my eyes immediately scanning for any danger. But she looked fine, and I could hear no minds within my range other than those of my family.

"Are you okay, Isabella?" Esme asked her, worrying what could be wrong.

Isabella suddenly stood up. "I need to leave. Now." Her voice sounded stiff, like she was at the edge of panic or hysteria and she was trying to control herself. We all stood up along with her.

As if I would let anything hurt her.

… I give up trying to manage my thoughts.

"What do you mean, _now_? Is something the matter?" Carlisle asked, trying to calm her down.

_Man, her emotions… I've never felt this much anxiety and dread from anyone. Well… I have, but it's been a _long_ time… If she was human, I would have said she was having a nervous breakdown._

"Yes. I mean, no, nothing is wrong," she stuttered. "But I need to go. Thank you all so much for your hospitality. I can never repay you enough," she said, backing up toward the door. "I sincerely hope you have a lovely day and that we can meet again some other time, perhaps?"

She didn't wait for an answer; she just left, running out the door as fast as she could.

It took me a second to process what had just happened. Isabella, seemingly frightened, just ran off, most likely to face any danger on her own.

Danger. She would be facing danger. _On her own._

Before I knew it, I was running out the door after her.


	8. Frenemy

**Disclaimer: Twilight belongs to Stephenie Meyer**

**...**

**_This Chapter is Dedicated to:_  
**

**_I-am-Derpette_**

**_penny. bear. 37_**

**_coolgle_**

**_Horses-are-my-life_**

**_Avery0113_**

**_AliciaCullen (Guest)_**

**_DemiGoddess2012_**

**_Lillia (Guest)_**

**_..._**

**I am so sorry for the super late update; I had ISATs all week and couldn't get to the computer. But another reason was this: I had no idea if I should introduce a new character as _him_ or stick with a character that already exists in the actual Twilight books/mov****i****es. What do you guys think? PM me or review with your suggestions; I really don't kno****w**** what would make more sense!**

**That's all, folks. Just read and review.**

**-Soni**

* * *

…

**·§ Love Kills Slowly §·**

…

* * *

"Stab the body and it heals, but injure the heart and the wound lasts a lifetime."  
– Mineko Iwasaki –

**...**

**Chapter 7: Frenemy **

**...**

**August 1, 2012**

**...**

**Bella POV**

**...**

Sometimes, I wonder if life has something against me.

I genuinely hoped that the Cullens weren't following me; that would only put them in more danger. And right now, I didn't think I'd be able to handle any distractions when I meet this vampire.

The vampire had stopped quite a few miles from here, near the Canadian-American border. Why? I had no idea. Maybe to give me a chance to run away, like he had for the past four months?

Yes, this was the same vampire that had been after me for the past four months, since I crossed the Mexican-American border. It wasn't like I had stopped in Mexico for long; I just couldn't stand hiding the whole day, avoiding the sunlight. So I crossed the border in the middle of the night, naturally, to steer clear of any attention. But by the time I had gotten a few miles into Arizona, I sensed someone following me. And it just happened to be this very vampire.

The only reason why I hadn't killed him already was because he was… different. He wasn't like the Cullens – not even close. But it was like he wasn't trying that hard to capture me. I mean, four months? It hadn't taken any of the past vampires that long to corner me after they'd caught my scent. Usually about a week, two at the most. It was why I tried so hard to stay off their radar.

I slowed as I got nearer to his location. He had stopped running by now; his light was stationary. I stopped moving when he stepped into my field of vision, about fifteen meters away.

In the half second of silence that followed when our eyes met, several things registered.

He looked the same. _Exactly_ the same. No surprise, considering that he was a vampire. An attractive on at that. Dark brown hair, a few shades darker than mine. Scarlet eyes. Annoying smile. About a foot taller than me, maybe a little less; the same height as Edward, maybe? I quickly pushed Edward out of my mind.

"Isabella!" he exclaimed, holding his arms out wide in fake surprise and grinning. "What a coincidence it is that we just happened to run into each other!"

"Enough with the small talk," I interrupted him. He just smiled and shook his head, amused.

"But, Isabella, you must admit that we haven't formally been introduced yet. If I recall correctly, which I do, the past few times you left without even saying good-bye!"

His voice took on a more teasing tone.

"It's Ian, by the way. Ian Travis." He paused, waiting for me to comment that I already knew his name. When I didn't, he continued. "So I take it that you're name is Isabella? Glad to meet you too."

"You can stop faking a conversation, Ian." I rolled my eyes. If this had been any other vampire, I wouldn't have been talking to him. Then again, if this had been any other vampire, he wouldn't even have initiated a conversation in the first place.

"Are you going to be coming this time or what, Izzy?"

"Don't call me Izzy."

"Really, Izzy. He's getting pretty mad. After four months–"

"Don't call me Izzy!"

"Anyone would get mad, you know."

"You're the one who's unable to force me to go to… to wherever he is. It's not my fault!"

"It's because I can't force you to do anything. I just can't! It would be so much easier if you only _considered_ my offer…"

"Not a chance."

"Think about it, at least."

"No way."

"Please?"

"Uh-uh."

"Did you even think about it?"

"There's nothing _to_ think about, Ian." I sighed, pushing back a strand of hair. He just looked at me, silently begging me to look at this from his point of view.

"Izzy–"

"Seriously?"

"I would treat you like a princess. You would have the perfect existence. You wouldn't have to run away from him anymore."

"Ian–"

"He only wants you to torture you, Isabella. And then kill you for what you did. There's no use in trying to get onto his good side; he doesn't have one, especially concerning you. He hasn't forgotten and isn't going to."

"I would hope so," I said, trying to lighten the tense mood. "He's a vampire; aren't vampires _supposed_ to have perfect recall?"

"That's not the point!" he growled, having had enough. Suddenly he was right in front of me, pushing me back until I was pinned to a tree. His face was inches from mine. "Is this what you plan on doing for the rest of forever? Running? Hiding?"

"Actually, yes–"

"You know you can't! You know very well that one day, you _will_ slip, you _will_ let your guard down, and he _will_ kill you." I stood still, not breathing. He was stronger than me; I couldn't just push him off no matter how much I wanted to. And maybe slap some sense into him.

"Just… think about it." I opened my mouth to speak but he cut me off. "Actually _think_ about it."

"Ian," I sighed, deciding how to word this. "I see you as a… an enemy-friend. Friend-enemy. What do they call it now… a frenemy! But nothing like… _that_… Ian. I'm sorry, but–"

"Izzy–"

"You are _so_ lucky that I don't want to kill you. You don't even know _how_ lucky."

He went on, ignoring me. "My offer still stands. Just think it over, okay? I could give you anything you could possibly want. I have the money; my family's rich. I know the credit card numbers and bank account passwords. We can travel the world, Z."

"Not _another_ nickname," I groaned. I tried not to let what Ian was saying get to me. "Besides, what are you going to do about _him_?" I asked, carefully pushing him off and stepping away.

"We'll see, but later," he replied without missing a beat. "C'mon–"

"Not today, Ian. Just… no." I saw he wasn't going to take no for an answer. "At least give me some time, alright? I'll think about it," I amended. His eyes softened as he nodded. I turned around as he backed away to leave.

"I'll wait, Izzy." I didn't even bother to correct him on my name or even turn to face him again. "However long it takes. You don't understand right now, but you'll see." He left without another word.

I stood there for another few seconds, unsure of what to do, before I bolted back the way I came. No way was I going to Canada after knowing Ian was headed that way. I would much rather scavenge for a hideout somewhere in Washington than run into Ian again.

I knew that Ian meant the best for me. I knew that he had good intentions. But I couldn't get myself to feel that way for anyone anymore, not after what I discovered a few days after my transformation.

And then there was Edward. Edward, Edward, Edward. If I had still been human, I would be blushing every second I was near him. Why? I had no idea. But it was similar to what I felt while I was with Nicholas… but that was when I had been a human – it was long past. I couldn't do anything about that now.

Before I knew it, I realized that I was heading straight to the Cullen mansion. As soon as the thought occurred, I froze in place, not moving any further while I thought over my two choices right now.

I could take a detour and stay somewhere around Seattle. Seattle was a big city; the Cullen coven couldn't possibly pick me out from the population there. But I had no way of knowing who would find me there. Ian had found me, and it had only been a week since our last meeting. If any other vampire had found me instead…

Or, I could go back to the Cullen coven. I could maybe stay in their mansion for a while, no matter how odd it was staying indoors, and plan out what I would do next. And no matter how wrong it was to use them like that, they would be a better defense against other vampires. _He_ didn't usually send out more than one vampire at a time; if that vampire found me, I'd be surrounded by seven others. Eight to one. The odds were _much_ better.

But… there was also Edward. I didn't want to be near him, but at the same time, I did. Even now, I can't stop thinking about him. I knew I couldn't get close to him. My heart wasn't ready to be broken like that again.

I glanced first in the direction where I ran into Ian. Then I looked toward the general direction of the Cullen mansion. Sitting down right where I was, I rested my head on the tree behind me as I thought about Edward again.

Could he possibly be different from Nicholas?


	9. Love Struck

**Disclaimer: Twilight belongs to Stephenie Meyer**

**...**

_**This Chapter is Dediacted to:**_

_**Avery0113**_

_**Horses-are-my-life**_

_**coolgle**_

_**DutchGirl01**_

_**LadyIce5**_

**...**

**Now that that's out of the way, I just wanted to let you know that I'll start updating sooner, but the chapter will be a tad bit shorter. Kay? Kay. And this chapter is a bit... rushed, I know. But I just wanted to get the whole Edward thing out of the way, and I didn't know how to end it, and then I wanted to really update it today since I updated my other story today, and... and... yeah. So I'm sorry if it seems a bit rushed, but I tried to involve every Cullen in the conversation. Read and review, my friends!**

**-Soni**

* * *

…

**·§ Love Kills Slowly §·**

…

* * *

"It makes me… anxious… to be away from you."

– Edward Cullen, _Twilight_, Chapter 9, p.188 –

**...**

**Chapter 8: Love Struck**

**...**

**August 1, 2012**

**...**

**Edward POV**

**...**

Let me rephrase that last bit there. I _tried_ to run out the door after her. That was _before_ Alice decided to tackle me to the ground.

"Alice! What the heck?!"

"You'll mess up the whole future!" she yelled at me. _Dumbass,_ she added in her thoughts.

"And how will I do that?" I shouted back, irritated that her thoughts were giving nothing away.

"Anyone want to let us in on the conversation?" Emmett asked, too slow to even _try_ and understand what was happening.

"Shut up!" Rosalie hissed at him. "It's about that _Isabella_, isn't it?" she asked venomously. _I knew that girl was nothing but trouble._

I didn't realize I was growling till Rosalie shot me an odd look.

_Chill, Edward. If you don't mind me asking, what were you even doing, running after her?_

"Good question, Jasper," I said, getting up. I glared at Alice, who merely cocked her head and smiled. _It was for your own good, Edward. And Isabella's…_

"That was… unexpected," Carlisle stated, looking at all of us in turn.

"What part?" Rosalie mumbled. "Her running away or Edward running after her?"

"Both," Emmett said, grinning. _You're in love, dude!_

I growled softly, but the more I thought about it, the more it seemed like Emmett was right. And I didn't know what scared me more: the fact that I was falling for a vampire I had barely met, or that Emmett was actually right about something.

"Edward?" Esme asked slowly. "Why exactly _did_ you run after her?" I could hear hopefulness in her voice, though I didn't quite understand why.

I sighed. "I don't know, Esme," I said, running a hand through my hair. "I don't know."

_Eddie and Isabella sitting in a tree. K-I-S-S–_

"Shut up, Emmett!" I said forcefully, not letting him finish his thought.

Jasper guessed what he was thinking. "You know, Edward… he might be correct." Jasper looked at me pointedly.

"You think I don't know that?" I snapped, frustrated.

"Alright, everyone," Carlisle cut in. "How about we talk _out loud_"–he shot a meaningful glance at me and Alice in particular–"in the dining room and maybe… discuss what just happened?"

Everyone nodded their assent.

As soon as we were seated around the dining room table, Rosalie made her irritation known. "I still don't understand why we're so worried about this vampire. As long as she doesn't hunt in the area, we should be fine, right?"

"_If_ she doesn't hunt in the area," Jasper reminded us. Her red eyes had not gone unnoticed by us. "We can't exactly change her diet; we just met her."

Carlisle let out an unnecessary breath. "We did mention to her that we would prefer she didn't hunt here. I don't know what else we could've done. Truthfully, her diet is only natural," he said, wincing slightly, "and we can't force our ways upon her." He turned to Alice. "Do you see her hunting in Forks?"

Alice frowned as she shuffled through various visions of the future. She was too preoccupied with her visions of Isabella to block her thoughts properly, and I ended up seeing most of the brief flashes.

_Isabella, running through the woods._

_Stopping at a clearing._

_Another vampire, a male, stepping out. He had red eyes and looked like he was young when he was turned; a little older than Isabella, maybe. Around eighteen or nineteen._

_Them speaking, casually at first, almost like close friends meeting up again after a long time._

_Her smiling faintly at the vampire._

_Her looking at the ground, biting her lip, while the other vampire stepped closer to her as if offering her something._

_The male vampire pinning Isabella against a tree, hands on either side of her head. She wasn't exactly struggling that hard._

_Isabella leaving shortly after the male left, running in the opposite direction._

_Her sitting with her head in her hands at the base of a tree. A tree that I recognized._

"Alice?" I asked, holding back another growl. "Who was that?"

"Isabella," she answered, glancing at Carlisle as if to say _I remembered to speak out loud, okay?_

"Not her. The other one," I clarified, even though I had the feeling she knew who I was really talking about.

"Another one? There's _another_ vampire in Forks now?" Rosalie snarled in disbelief. "Is the new one a human drinker too?"

"Yes," Alice and I replied in unison. "He has red eyes, too," I said. Esme gasped as Carlisle looked to Alice.

"Do you think he'll–"

"I don't know, Carlisle! I don't _think_ he'll hunt here, but I can't be sure; my visions are confusing. I can _see_ him, but I can't _understand_ him."

"So he's a threat, isn't he?" Jasper asked, glancing from me to Alice. I nodded since Alice was too busy trying to figure out what was happening in her visions.

"Great," he muttered, mentally planning out attack strategies. I half-smiled.

"You know, this isn't a battle, Jasper. You don't have to sketch out battle tactics." He smiled sheepishly. _It's a subconscious thing, Edward. I can't help it._ I shook my head. "Don't worry, I know."

Carlisle cleared his throat shooting me and Jasper pointed looks. "Next order of business: Edward."

Everyone turned to look at me. I couldn't read Carlisle's thoughts, so I had no way of preparing for what he asked next.

"Jasper, what was Edward feeling?" Jasper looked at Carlisle in confusion. "Around Isabella," Carlisle added.

"Oh," Jasper said, understanding. "Well, he sure felt confused." Alice giggled, like she knew what was going to happen. Which she did, of course. "And… angry, but not at her… and sad… and protective." He suddenly looked from me to Carlisle with wide eyes, his thoughts going a million miles per hour. "Wait, Carlisle–"

Emmett got it first, surprisingly. "Eddie's _love struck_!"


	10. Memories

**Disclaimer: Twilight belongs to Stephenie Meyer**

**...**

_**This Chapter is Dedicated to:**_

_**Momma Laura**_

_**Avery0113**_

_**LadyIce5**_

_**Horses-are-my-life**_

_**sujari6**_

_**DutchGirl01**_

_**coolgle**_

**...**

**Ta-da! Update! Anyway, since the chapter _are_ going to be a little shorter from now on (mostly) I'll be updating sooner (usually).**

**I have the link for the ring (you'll see what I'm talking about) on my profile, and I have a link for what Nicholas looks like. *Smile* But enough of that random stuff. I present to you, Chapter 9!**

**-Soni**

* * *

…

**·§ Love Kills Slowly §·**

…

* * *

"Sometimes life has a cruel sense of humor, giving you the thing you always wanted at the worst time possible."  
― Lisa Kleypas, _Sugar Daddy_ ―

**...**

**Chapter 9: Memories**

**...**

**August 1, 2012**

**...**

**Bella POV**

**...**

Usually, when a person―vampire―is deep in thought, they tend not to notice important details around them. I'm different though, seeing as I've survived over a century in my… situation.

But now, stuck between thinking about Edward and Ian and Nicholas and choices, I certainly didn't notice when a vampire with golden eyes appeared from seemingly nowhere.

And when I did, I _definitely_ didn't expect the vampire to be Esme, of all people. Or maybe I did. I was busy… thinking.

"Isabella, dear?" She tentatively took a step toward me. I stiffened, my instincts―after _years_ of experience―screaming for me to bolt out of there. But I didn't _feel_ threatened; if anything, I felt stupid for not noticing how her light had been getting closer in my mind. Unfortunately, her eyes caught my discomfort and she stopped moving any closer. "I'm sorry if I scared you"―she looked to the ground sheepishly―"But I thought Alice saw you sitting here alone and I thought―"

"_Saw_?" I asked, confused. I temporarily pushed the problems I had been so conflicted about a few moments ago out of my mind. "What do you mean she _saw_ me?"

Esme smiled, happy that I had responded at all. "Well, it would be easier to explain if she told you herself…" She offered me her hand.

_To take it or not to take it. That is the question._

I smiled, forgetting that Esme was still there, at the memory.

_We were in the meadow, the golden rays of the late afternoon sun illuminating the sky and making everything around us glow with warmth. We were laying on our backs, next to each other, our hands slightly touching. My evening gown was torn from running through the woods._

"_Bella?" he said softly. I smiled; he had always called me that for as long as I could remember. Never the fancy 'Isabella' or 'Miss Swan'._

"_Yes, Nick?"_

"_If I gave you something, would you accept it?"_

_My eyebrows rose slightly as I thought over it. "It depends… what is it?"_

"_Would you accept it?" he repeated, ignoring my question. I shook my head, sitting up. I felt him do the same._

"_I do not know… maybe." He smiled, despite my uncertain answer. He reached for a stray hair that escaped from my braid and tucked it behind my ear._

"_Alright then"_ _―he turned, fully facing me know, and took my hands―"Close your eyes."_

"_But Nick―"_

"_Do you trust me?"_

"_Of course."_

"_Then close your eyes. Please?"_

_I sighed, closing my eyes with a faint smile on my lips._

_I gasped softly as I felt him slip a small box into my hands. It couldn't be… could it?_

"_Open your eyes, Bella."_

_He was looking at me with wide blue eyes, waiting for my reaction. I forced my gaze down to the box I held in my hands. I glanced back up at him, only to be met with his hopeful gaze. Taking a deep breath, I bit my lip and opened the box._

_And I felt my jaw drop, ignoring how un-ladylike it must have been._

_The ring was beautiful. The platinum band was studded with multiple perfectly cut diamonds that sparkled in the last few rays of sunlight. The largest diamond was stunning; it was intricately cut in a petal design, bringing the ring a timeless elegance. All in all, it must have cost a fortune._

_And then it hit me: this was a ring. A _ring_!_

_I looked back to Nick, my eyes unbelieving. "Nick, are you―"_

"_Isabella Marie Swan. I love you more than anything; more than my whole life." I gasped. This wasn't happening. "I cannot imagine spending the rest of my life with _anyone_ else but you." I felt the tears forming as he paused and stared into my eyes, as if looking for permission. "Will you marry me, Bella?"_

_I could feel the tears falling. I could feel his waiting gaze on me. I could feel my heart beating in my chest. What I _couldn't _feel was my mind working enough to form a comprehensible response._

_Mistaking me silence for something else, Nick tried to laugh it off. His brown hair glinted in the sunlight as he looked at the box I was holding. "To take it or not to take it," he stated in fake seriousness. "_That_ is the question."_

_I couldn't hold back my laughter as I hugged him with all my strength―which wasn't a lot― and wrapped my arms around his neck. "Oh my goodness, Nick, yes! Yes, yes, YES!" I all but screamed, smiling through my tears._

_Little did I know that he was an amazing liar._

"Isabella?"

My smile vanished. My eyes refocused onto the present. Esme was standing there, still holding out her hand. She was looking at me worriedly.

"Are you okay?"

"I'm fine… Esme," I said, hesitant. I was anything _but_ okay, but I would never tell these strangers that. I barely knew them. I stood up in a flash, trying to forget the memories. "Why are you here?" I realized I sounded rude, but I couldn't help it; she was simply in the wrong place at the wrong time.

"I was wondering if you would stay with us for a while," she replied kindly, hopefully. "We could get to know each other better." She smiled. I resisted the urge to say _Yeah, right_. Taking an unnecessary breath, I nodded. If anything, Esme's smile grew even more. It seemed to be contagious; I felt myself smiling back.

"Let's go, then," she said, grabbing my hand. I surprised even myself by not commenting about it.

As we ran toward the house, I frowned slightly. With my free hand, I reached for the pocket of what used to be Rosalie's skinny jeans.

I relaxed once I felt the outline of the diamond engagement ring still secure in my pocket.


	11. Revelation

**Disclaimer: Twilight belongs to Stephenie Meyer**

**...**

_**This Chapter is Dedicated to:**_

_**LadyIce5**_

_**coolgle**_

_**Avery0113**_

_**lexi (Guest)**_

_**DutchGirl01**_

_**Scarlet's Name**_

**...**

**Thank you all so much for reviewing! Love you guys!**

**Just so I have an excuse for the extreme shortness, I couldn't find my flash drive since a.) my desk was cleaned and I prefer being disorganized and b.) I have a fever right now and can't search super thoroughly for it. So in my fever state, I typed up a really quick filler chapter revealing somethin****g**** that I hadn't exactly planned on revealing quite yet. **

**So here you go!**

**-Soni**

* * *

…

**·§ Love Kills Slowly §·**

…

* * *

It's too easy to be myself with you.

– Edward Cullen, _Twilight_, Chapter 13, p.262 –

**...**

**Chapter 10: Revelation**

**...**

**August 1, 2012**

**...**

**Edward POV**

**...**

_Edward?_

I turned my head slightly to Alice, signaling that I was paying attention. Which was a pretty amazing thing, since I still couldn't believe the situation I was in.

_I… I wouldn't reveal to her that you're… mates… quite yet. She's not exactly stable._

I was about to open my mouth to ask her what she meant by that when she cut me off with her thoughts.

_Emotionally. She's not emotionally stable. Something happened to her, Edward, in her past. I don't know if it was when she was a vampire or when she was a human, but _something _definitely happened._

I frowned. It all kept coming down to her past. And the only person who had even shown a _glimmer_ of recognition was… Carlisle.

Alice, seeing what I was going to do, nodded her approval. I just hoped this worked…

"Carlisle?" I asked as soon as I was right outside his study.

_Come in, Edward._

I slipped into the room soundlessly. After I had taken a seat in the chair in front of his desk, he looked up from the paperwork he had been filling out for the hospital.

"What do you need, Edward?" he asked. I could see that he thought I had questions about the whole… Isabella thing. In a way, I guess he was right.

"During the conversation with Isabella, you thought something about her being in London in 1916," I said slowly. He nodded remembering. And then he sighed.

"I guess I should tell you then," he said, his thoughts giving nothing away. I started jumping to conclusions in my mind, none of them pleasant.

"Tell me what?"

"About how I was in London in 1916"―I froze―"In the same town as Isabella."

_Edward, he's going to suggest coming down to the living room._

Alice thoughts notified me just a second before Carlisle himself. "Should we take this downstairs, son?"

"Sure." I was downstairs and sitting tensely on the sofa in a second, Carlisle right behind me. The rest of the family was already there, staring curiously at Carlisle.

As we waited for him to begin, I could see that although none of them were suspicious or mad or had any negative feelings toward him, they were all excited―or in Jasper's case, anxious―to know something more about Isabella's past.

"1916. This was a year after Rosalie and Emmett were born"―_She's older than me!_ Emmett thought―"And two years before I came to Chicago to save Edward." He glanced at me. "I was in a small town in the outskirts of London at the time, working as a doctor there.

"Isabella was in fact from London, but her family had moved to a smaller town to avoid any major attack. It _was_ during World War I, and London's the capital of Britain, making it very prone to an attack by someone like Germany.

"Like Edward said"―Carlisle nodded toward me―"I thought I recognized Isabella. I never met her in person, but…" he trailed off, not finishing, and looked down at his hands.

"What happened?" Jasper asked quietly. He could tell that this was something that bothered Carlisle.

Carlisle let out a deep breath. _I might as well let it out after all these years._ "I was the one who was asked to examine the supposed 'body' of Isabella Marie Swan."


	12. Abilities Revealed

**Disclaimer: Twilight belongs to Stephenie Meyer**

**...**

_**This Chapter is Dedicated to:**_

_**LadyIce5**_

_**Momma Laura**_

_**Avery0113**_

_**Horses-are-my-life**_

_**sujari6**_

_**Rabecka99**_

_**Cat (Guest)**_

_**Hi (Guest)**_

_**Scarlet's Name**_

_**coolgle**_

**...**

**Alright, let me clear something up first: The dates in the previous chapter about when Edward was changed and Rosalie and Emmett were born... they were actually true. It's on the Twilight Lexicon Timeline. I just wanted to make sure none of you thought I changed the dates or anything... kay? And it's official: my flash drive has been destroyed by my friend's dog. So all of my stories are lost. Depressing. But I will never give up on any of my stories―I promise―but you have to understand that updates may take a while till I get everything settled again. I had a timeline for this story with everything from what exactly happened to Bella to when everything should unfold, so it might take a bit to recreate that... But I _will_ update whenever I can help it.**

**Love y'all.**

**-Soni**

* * *

…

**·§ Love Kills Slowly §·**

…

* * *

"Learning to trust again is never going to be an easy option, but maybe it will be worth it…"

― Unknown ―

**...**

**Chapter 11: Abilities Revealed**

**...**

**August 1, 2012**

**...**

**Bella POV**

**...**

"Come on in, Isabella," Esme said with a warm smile. She gestured for me to step inside the house, holding the door open for me. I hesitated. Did I really want to get to know these people? Let me think… no, not really.

Esme noticed my hesitation.

"Everyone's excited to see you," she said softly. "We haven't met another vampire in a while." She looked at me hopefully.

For some reason, I didn't want to get her feelings hurt. Maybe it was a memory of my own mother, or maybe it was just an instinct to not be rude to others, but for whatever reason, I smiled back and slowly stepped inside the house.

Esme led me into the living room, where everyone else was seated, apparently waiting for me. But their faces looked… stunned. Shaken. As if they'd just heard some unexpected news…

I decided not to dwell on that too much. _Remember, Isabella, you want as little to do with them as possible._

"Hey!" the short, dark-haired one said cheerfully. I was pretty sure that her name was Alice.

"Hey…" I said slowly, unsure and nervous, not used to speaking like the average teenager. Jasper, I think, chuckled softly, as if he somehow knew what I was feeling. Odd…

"Well… have a seat, then, Isabella," Carlisle said pleasantly. But he was looking at me strangely, as if he was trying to recognize me from somewhere.

Alice patted the empty spot next to her, and after a moment's deliberation, I took a seat. I might as well figure out exactly what they wanted to know about me. It wasn't like I was actually going to tell them, so how much harm can it be?

"So," Alice said, taking my hand. I tensed, suppressing a low growl. "Oh…" She quickly dropped my hand. Looking at her face, I resisted the urge to apologize for my rudeness. "Sorry," she added sheepishly.

I smiled stiffly, wishing that she would just go on. She seemed to understand. "So I thought that maybe we should get to know one another better. I know that we just met, and―"

"What did Esme mean when she said you 'saw' me?" I asked her quietly. The room was dead silent.

I glanced up to see that everyone was staring at Alice, waiting. I looked back to Alice and realized why they were staring at her; she appeared to be in a sort of trance. Her eyes were unfocused, and, in a sense, it was like she wasn't really here. Her light on my mental map was still bright and clear though. That hadn't changed, I thought in relief.

_Why do you care so much?_

"Well," Alice began slowly. "You know how some vampires have powers, right?" she asked me carefully.

"Powers?" I asked, confused. The entire coven gaped at me.

"Hold up…" Emmett said, his eyes disbelieving. "You never knew about that?"

"About what?" I was starting to get nervous.

"That certain vampires have powers?"

"Um… no?" I replied, but it came out more like a question. What the heck were these people―sorry, vampires―talking about? No one said anything for a few deceivingly long seconds until Jasper leaned forward in his seat.

"You see, Isabella," he started, "Some vampires have certain… powers. Abilities. Not everyone has one, and no two―that we know of―are exactly the same. I listened closely, riveted by this new information. Vampires have… _powers_?

"Carlisle," Jasper continued, glancing once toward Carlisle, "theorized that certain vampires bring something from their human lives into their vampire ones; a very… important part of them."

He shot a questioning glance to Alice, who nodded, before continuing. "I can feel and manipulate the emotions of those around me." My eyes widened. "Carlisle thinks that when I was changed into a vampire, the charisma changed into the ability to sense emotions."

He was the cause behind all those times I felt unnaturally calm. I guess he felt my annoyance; he quickly apologized for using his power on me.

"And I can see the future," Alice said, turning her attention away from Jasper and back to me. "That's what Esme meant when she said I 'saw' you. I see things―things that might happen, things that are coming. But it's very subjective. The future isn't set in stone; things change."

I stared at her for a few seconds before the meaning of her words hit me. "You mean you saw… the entire… in the woods… just now?" I choked out. She nodded, knowing what I was talking about. I tried not to focus on that too much; she said she usually _saw_ her… visions, right? Maybe that didn't involve any audio…

I was snapped out of my thoughts by another musical voice speaking up. Edward.

"I…" he said, speaking for the first time since I got here "I can read minds."

If I had still been human, I would've had a heart attack. As a vampire, I felt a sudden panic rise in me before it was all washed away, replaced by a relaxing calm. I looked once toward Jasper; he shrugged apologetically. Edward wasn't done talking though.

"Everyone's mind…" My heart would've been beating a hundred miles per hour by now. "Except yours." His gaze made my stomach flip. I fought to look indifferent.

"So… I'm a freak?"

Everyone's eyes snapped to me immediately. A second later, Emmett's booming laugh filled the room.

"In that whole conversation," he said, still laughing, "that's what you picked out? That you're a freak? They just said they can feel what you feel, see your future, and read your mind! And you think _you're_ the freak?" The entire coven was smiling. He cut his laughter off as suddenly as it started when a thought occurred to him. "Well, he can't read _your _mind…"

"Do you think you have a power, Isabella?" Jasper asked again, now that the whole concept had been explained. I paused as I thought about it.

Did I have a power?

Well, not that I knew of. I mean, the whole not being able to read my mind thing was probably a glitch, even though I was grateful for it. What else could my power be? Did I even have one?

I was just about to say that no, I didn't, when I remembered something important. The lights!

"Maybe…" I said uncertainly.

"Do you think you could describe it?" Carlisle asked me curiously.

I let out a deep breath before starting. "It's kind of like… lights," I said at last. Everyone seemed as confused as ever. Rosalie snorted.

"Thanks for clearing it up," she muttered. "It's about as clear as mud now. Perfect."

Ignoring her, I tried to figure out how to describe it. "It's like… after I meet someone, they get a… a light, I guess. The better I know them, the brighter their light." Understanding began to dawn in Carlisle's eyes as Edward stiffened, probably at his thoughts. "I don't know how to explain… I guess… once I meet someone, it's like I can tell you where they are. Like… on a map. By their light." By now, they seemed to get what I was saying, if only vaguely.

Carlisle cleared his throat. "Well, Isabella, it appears that you _do _have a power. You're a―"

Rosalie gasped as realization slammed into her. She growled loudly. "She's a frickin tracker!"


	13. Discussion

**Disclaimer: Twilight belongs to Stephenie Meyer**

**All right. Let me just tell you that no, I did not give up on Fanfiction. I will finish every single story that I have posted so far. Leaving a story unfinished... I can't do that to you guys. But lately, I've been in a... situation.**** I know that it's nearing a month since I last updated anything, and I just wanted to make sure you all know that I _do_ have a reason. It... it has to do with the thing in Boston. If you want to know any details, you can PM me, though; I don't want to offend anyone or anything, so I'm not going to post it up for everyone to see. If you're a guest, I am super sorry, but it's just... it's a sensitive topic, you know? Thank you all for keeping up with my erratic updates and other random things.**

**-Soni**

* * *

…

**·§ Love Kills Slowly §·**

…

* * *

You take everything so coolly—it's unnatural. It makes me wonder what you're really thinking.

– Edward Cullen, _Twilight_, Chapter 10, p.198 –

**...**

**Chapter 12: Discussion**

**...**

**August 1, 2012**

**...**

**Edward POV**

**...**

I must admit, I did _not_ see that coming. Isabella? A tracker? I never would've guessed.

But now, the whole family was tense. They were thinking about almost the exact same thing: the Volturi. Carlisle's thoughts just about summed up everything.

_The way she describes it… her power might be more effective, more accurate, and overall just _better _than Demetri's. If the Volturi know about this, they most definitely wouldn't hesitate to attempt to recruit her. And with Chelsea on their side, they probably will get her to join them in the end._

On instinct, I growled almost inaudibly. I couldn't imagine Isabella joining the Volturi… could she? I didn't know. If only I could read her mind…

Isabella cleared her throat, searching our expressions for an answer. "A… what?"

Carlisle cracked a smile._ Of course she doesn't know what it means. She's been describing her talent by comparing it to lights on a map!_ "A tracker. You said how those 'lights' showed you a person's location, right?" She nodded. "Your ability is tracking. And by how you describe it, it seems that once you meet the person, you kind of _know_ where they are, am I right? And it sounds like the better you know them, the better you can track them."

Isabella nodded slowly, storing the information like any other vampire. Carlisle continued speaking, though it was more to himself. "The Volturi have a tracker too… I wonder…"

"The Volturi?" She asked, curiosity evident in her eyes. My eyes snapped to her, wide with surprise. _Did she not know? No, that's impossible…_

Carlisle was the only one who decided to voice his thoughts. "You… you don't know who the Volturi are?" he asked her.

She shook her head.

"You mean the vampire who changed you didn't tell you about them?"

Wrong question to ask.

Isabella's eyes darkened, making her seemingly harmless and innocent face look deathly frightening. Her posture stiffened, and she let out a low snarl. Jasper actually cringed.

_Bro, you sure picked one hell of a girl. That much hatred would make anyone fear for their freaking lives!_

"Is… Is something the matter?" Alice asked carefully. She was flipping through different visions of the future, trying to follow the one that wouldn't end with misunderstandings.

"No." Isabella's steady voice surprised me, and I could tell that it surprised everyone else too. "Nothing is the matter. Just… remembering something."

Carlisle nodded. _It's only natural for her to start remembering her change. It was foolish of me to ask her that._

_Poor thing_, Esme thought. _It's so unfortunate that she lost everything because of one vampire. How did she deal with never being able to see her family again? Wait… how _did _she know to never try and see her family again?_

She never had a chance to ask Isabella though, because Carlisle was speaking again. "You know what, since Esme convinced you to stay here for a while"—he smiled at her—"I was thinking that maybe we could take you hunting." Her eyes snapped to Carlisle, disbelieving. "You know, show you our way."

"That's a really good idea," Alice said, grinning. "Maybe we could actually see if she can outrun Edward." Her eyes sparkled with excitement. I knew something was up; she was reciting the Chinese alphabet backwards while translating the Bible into Arabic.

Emmett let out a loud guffaw. "My money's on Isabella!" he laughed. Rosalie rolled her eyes at him and Jasper, who were busy arguing how much money they were betting. It was already at nine hundred and fifty.

I was the only one who noticed how Isabella's eyes flickered to mine before looking back to the floor. I was the only one who noticed the touch of fear in them. But unfortunately, I didn't know that the fact that she was about to try something new—like hunting our way—wasn't the reason why she was scared.

* * *

**You didn't think I'd forget to dedicate this, did you? *wink* I just thought people would get intimidated if I had a long list of names at the top and they'd scroll down straight to the story, skipping the author's note, so I just put this at the bottom for now. Thank you all so much for actually reviewing! **

_**...**_

_**This Chapter is Dedicated to:**_

_**Momma Laura**_

_**Horses-are-my-life**_

_**XxPinkPlatypusxX**_

_**coolgle**_

_**DutchGirl01**_

_**penny. bear. 37**_

_**LadyIce5**_

_**I-am-Derpette**_

_**Avery0113**_

_**TexasGirl (Guest)**_

_**Anonymous (Guest)**_

_**Scarlet's Name**_

_**...**_


	14. Nicknames

**Disclaimer: Twilight belongs to Stephenie Meyer**

**Ta-da! Chapter 13! And to anyone who actually read these, the first hunt will be in the next chapter, kay? I just thought that it was about time something was done about "Isabella's" name...**

**Thank you all so much for reading! Leave a review, will you? *wink***

**-Soni**

* * *

…

**·§ Love Kills Slowly §·**

…

* * *

"The pain started years ago, but I'd lived with it for so long at that point that I'd accepted it as an inevitable part of me."

― Ashley D. Wallis, _Leaping_ ―

**...**

**Chapter 13: Nicknames**

**...**

**August 1, 2012**

**...**

**Bella POV**

**...**

This was impossible. I couldn't do it. I just… couldn't.

"It's actually not that difficult, Isabella," Alice repeated from the doorway of my bedroom, knowing that I was seconds from giving up. I raised an eyebrow at her. Sighing, she gracefully plopped down next to me on my bed.

"Seriously!" she continued. "It's kind of like… living on tofu for the rest of your life." She grinned, as if this was some inside joke. The blank look on my face probably revealed that I didn't get it.

Suddenly, Alice smacked her forehead in realization. "Oh, that's right! Tofu wasn't popular until the mid 20th century!" she muttered, mostly to herself. "Let me think of another analogy…"

"So it's basically like starving yourself," I said slowly. The way she spoke of this "vegetarian" diet was… less than appealing.

"If you want to look at it like that, then yes. Except you won't starve, because it _will_ nourish you. It's just… not satisfying."

That was encouraging.

I was about to say something when Alice jumped up and skipped out of the room, saying she'd be back in a second. I didn't try to figure out what she meant by that. But right now, I had a bigger problem to face.

I already had trouble with controlling myself around humans. The only reason I was able to resist in the first place was because I knew that I could take any one of them if I had to.

I had that choice.

But now… If I took up this diet…

You never know the value of something until it's taken away, my mother used to say.

You never know how much you truly crave the blood until it's taken away.

"Isabella?"

My head snapped up. Jasper was leaning against the doorframe. "Are you alright?"

_No, I'm not alright. I've lost everything! Family, friends… love… I don't have anything! And now I have a psycho after me just because I may or may not have insulted him in front of__―_

"Why are you so frustrated all the time?" Jasper asked quietly, his eyebrows furrowed. "And so hopeless?"

I just shook my head, not wanting to dive into my past yet. And if I had my way, they'd never know anything about my past. Or even Nicholas… or Ian… or James and Victoria…

I suppressed a shudder.

"You know, you can trust us," he said. I glanced up at him. "I can tell that you're afraid of being hurt again, but we would never do that."

Against my will, I actually considered telling them. I mean, they _seemed_ nice enough…

_And that's exactly why you need to stay away from them, Isabella._

"You do know that we're always here, right?" Jasper looked at me, trying to see if I understood. I nodded―anything to make him drop the subject.

He smiled, accepting my response. "Anyway," he said, glancing down the hallway. "The whole family's downstairs. We might head out in a few minutes." He took a few steps down the hall before turning back. "You coming?"

I sighed, getting up. I _really_ didn't want to do this…

"Hey, you know what we should do first?" Emmett said loudly when I entered the living room. Esme patted the empty spot next to her on the sofa, motioning for me to have a seat.

"We need to shorten your name, Isabella."

I froze, having just taken my seat. My eyes were wide as I scanned Emmett's face for any hint of a joke.

"Not that your name isn't pretty or anything," he amended quickly, "It's just a mouthful, you know? Calling you Isabella all the time."

I guess I understood his point…

I almost blurted out that Ian always called me Izzy, but I knew that wouldn't have been too wise.

"So what do you suggest?" I asked cautiously. From the looks of shock on their faces, I knew that no one had expected me to just go with it.

Emmett was happy, though. "Okay then… how about…" I could tell that he wasn't good at nicknames.

"Isabel?" Alice offered.

I shook my head at the same time Emmett piped up, "That's basically the same thing!"

"Isa?"

"No, Alice."

"Izzy?"

I cringed. Thankfully, they thought it was because of the name.

"Bells?"

"Are you being serious?"

"Ella?"

"Never."

The room was silent for a moment till someone spoke up. Someone that was not Alice.

"Bella?" Edward suggested softly, seeming to be talking more to himself than to everyone else.

"Bella…" I said slowly. His eyes snapped to mine at the sound of my voice, as did everyone else's.

I offered him a small smile. "I like Bella."

"It's settled then!" Emmett announced. "Bella it is!"

"Now that that's over with," Carlisle started, speaking for the first time since I came downstairs, "We should probably get started."

Esme got up, following him, and Alice and Rosalie were right behind the two of them. Emmett and Jasper went next, making sure the bet on whether I was faster than Edward was still on.

It seemed like I was the only one who noticed how Edward's face lit up with the most heart-rending crooked grin in the world.

* * *

_**This Chapter is Dedicated to:**_

_**coolgle**_

_**46 Husbands Later**_

_**penny. bear. 37**_

_**lightninglaura**_

_**Scarlet's Name**_

_**Avery0113**_

_**DutchGirl01**_

_**Horses-are-my-life**_

_**Em (Guest)**_


	15. First Hunt

**Disclaimer: Twilight belong to Stephenie Meyer**

* * *

******I'm sorry. I really am. If you really need a reason for why it's been over a month, visit my profile and go to one of my stories called Alone. You don't have to read it or anything, just jump to Chapter 21: This, My Friends, Is Serious. It's like... an A/N that'll explain a lot.**

* * *

…

**·§ Love Kills Slowly §·**

…

* * *

I'm never angry with you — how could I be? Brave, trusting… warm as you are.

― Edward Cullen, _Twilight_, Chapter 17, p.365 ―

**...**

**Chapter 14: First Hunt**

**...**

**August 1, 2012**

**...**

**Edward POV**

**...**

"We should probably split up," Carlisle said, looking at each one of us in turn. "It'll be easier since we wouldn't be as crowded."

While everyone else murmured his or her assent, Bella stood still, her face impassive. Even though she was clearly suppressing her emotions, Jasper could tell that she was nervous.

_Even with the small sample I'm able to feel, Edward, I'm pretty sure that she's nervous. But I don't know if it's because she's afraid she'll mess up… it's more like she's afraid that she won't be able to stick to it in the future. She's feeling… apprehensive. I guess that's what would best describe it._

I nodded faintly, just enough to show Jasper that I heard him.

Carlisle paused for a moment, thinking about something. _What if…_ He quickly shook his head, stopping himself mid-thought, much to my annoyance.

"Alright, so since you're new to this, Bella, you should probably go with Alice, Jasper, and…" he met my eyes for a second, just barely warning me of what he was about to say. "And Edward. They'll probably be the most helpful."

I saw Alice and Jasper nod, understanding that Carlisle would want them to go along because of their abilities. Alice would be able to see the future for any trouble, and Jasper would be able to calm us down if anything… undesirable… happened.

Like if Bella wasn't able to handle it.

But why I was chosen… I only had a faint idea, since Carlisle was thinking of everything except for that. And it had nothing to do with my mindreading.

"The rest of us," Carlisle was saying, "can go our separate ways, if we wish. We'll just meet back home in about an hour or so. Alright?"

We all nodded in agreement.

Rosalie and Emmett shot off, right after which Carlisle and Esme disappeared in the opposite direction. Jasper, Alice, and I turned to Bella, who, if she had been human, would've been a few shades paler with anxiety.

"This is really happening, isn't it?" I heard her mutter.

Alice just laughed. "The nerves will go away soon, Bella. It'll be completely fine. Trust us." She gave Bella another smile before closing her eyes.

Bella looked to me questioningly, wondering what Alice was doing. "She's searching the future," I explained. "To check if we'll run into any… humans."

"Oh…" she said thoughtfully. I thought I saw her eyes flash toward the trees for a second, but I could've easily imagined it.

"All clear," Alice said, opening her eyes again. "Just remember to stick with us, Bella."

I looked to Alice, confused for a second over why she added the last part. I hadn't exactly been paying attention to her vision…

_If Bella goes off on her own… she'll run into that other vampire again. The one I saw talking to her in the other vision._

I stiffened. Jasper glanced my way, noticing.

Brushing it off with a shake my head, I turned to Bella, about to say that we should probably get started, when she beat me to it.

"Shouldn't we… get going?" She asked hesitantly. Her eyes shot to Jasper for a millisecond. "It's been a few minutes now since they left…"

_Something's wrong, Edward. She's scared now, not just nervous. But she's covering it up rather well on the outside._

My eyes shot to Bella, and I realized that Jasper was right―her face wasn't betraying even a hint of the fear that Jasper could tell she felt inside.

Alice, who I had a feeling knew what was going to happen now, gestured her hand toward the woods. "Let's get going then. You'll be fine," she added, taking note of Bella's uneasy expression at the mention of hunting. "Come on!" And with that, Alice was off, followed immediately by Jasper.

Bella's eyes met mine for a second before she took off after them. And after a second's hesitation, I followed her.

**…**

"Those are elk, Bella. I know they don't exactly smell that appealing―"

"They smell _revolting_," Bella interrupted Alice, scrunching up her nose in distaste.

Jasper smiled. "That's because they're vegetarian. Now if those were, let's say, mountain lions" ―Jasper glanced at me, grinning―"They would smell at least a _little_ better."

"The why don't we go look for a mountain lion first?" Bella retorted impatiently. It was clear that the only reason she was even breathing was so that she would be able to talk to us.

I almost smiled.

_That could work… _Alice thought.

"Okay then." Alice jumped down from the tree branch she was on. Bella, however, stayed on the tree, her eyes darting quickly to the side before returning to Alice. "But come on, just _one_ elk. You can't hate it till you try it!"

"Actually, I can," she muttered as she too hopped off the tree. Jasper and I chuckled at her blatant distaste for the poor elk.

"Just watch me," Alice said, looking over at Bella. "It's really easy."

Jasper and I stood back, thinking Bella would come down, but she remained crouching on the tree.

"I can see fine from here," she said quietly, not moving.

Alice shrugged before she took a deep breath and sprinted toward the small herd of elk. Quickly snapping the neck of one of the medium-sized ones, she drained it before letting the carcass fall silently to the ground.

Turning to face us, she was about to smile before a vision hit her, full force.

_Bella, watching Alice run toward the herd of elk._

_Her eyes quickly flashing to the side again. The same way she was looking in earlier._

_Her, bolting out of the tree before Alice could get back to us._

And that was it.

I understood what it meant just as Alice reached us. Jasper was looking between the two of us, his eyes expressing his confusion.

That is, until he felt the lack of emotions coming from a person who was supposed to still be on the tree.

"Bella," the three of us said at the same time.

Crap.


	16. Brother and Sister?

**Disclaimer: Twilight belongs to Stephenie Meyer**

**X~X~X~BIG NEWS~X~X~X**

**Guess why this took so long? I'm moving! It's going to be a really big change... from Chicago (a suburb of Chicago, technically...) to San Ramon, California. I won't be able to update as much... If you want to know how I plan on updating and when to check up on any of my stories for a new chapter, just check my profile. I decided to make it useful and I'm going to post up some kind of schedule, I guess, for updating. Hope it will help!**

**-Soni**

* * *

**…**

**·§ Love Kills Slowly §·**

**…**

* * *

Have you ever been in love? Horrible isn't it? It makes you so vulnerable. It opens your chest and it opens up your heart and it means that someone can get inside you and mess you up.  
― Neil Gaiman, _The Sandman, Vol. 9: The Kindly Ones_ ―

**...**

**Chapter 15: Brother and Sister?**

**...**

**August 1, 2012**

**...**

**Bella POV**

**...**

No. No, no, no, _no_!

What was he thinking, coming here?

Besides, what was _I _thinking, agreeing to this stupid idea in the first place?

But Ian should've known better. He always seemed to know when another vampire was approaching…

My eyes widened as I kept running when a thought occurred to me. Ian once mentioned how he could tell that different vampires were near because of how their presence was repelled by his… his "shield".

Shield. _Shield._ Could that be Ian's power?

As soon as I the thought crossed my mind, I knew I was right.

That's why he was always so secretive about how he could tell I was near! I never usually asked about it, but the one time I did, he had just deflected the question until one of us decided to run off. Which, at the time, had been me.

Being a shield would mean that you were somehow shielding yourself, naturally. Probably from other vampires, if it was physical. And then if it were mental… that would probably mean other vampires' powers wouldn't work on you. Right?

Would that explain why Edward wasn't able to read my mind? But no, _Ian_ was the shield, not me…

I slowed down when Ian's light came to a sudden stop on the map. He must've felt my presence…

I growled softly once I saw his irritating grin. "What the hell, Ian?"

His grin widened, annoying me further. "Good to see you too, Izzy."

_Stay calm, Bella. Just stay calm. You don't want to have to explain to the Cullens why you killed a vampire._

"Look," I started, keeping my anger in check. "I'm pretty sure you know this already, but―"

"Who are the other vampires?" Ian interrupted.

I rolled my eyes impatiently. "That's exactly what I'm getting to, you idiot! I was… hunting… with some other vampires. _You_," I said, pointing to him accusingly, "Interrupted the hunt."

"Hunting?" he snorted. "In the middle of the woods? What kind of human would come here?"

_Great. Way to go, Bella._

"I don't know, okay?" I let out a deep breath. Edward, Alice, and Jasper's lights were getting closer. We didn't have any more than five minutes, if even that. He couldn't even leave if he wanted to now, since there wasn't any time to cover up evidence of him being here.

I decided to just improvise.

"You're my friend. Got it? No, no, no… make that my brother. Younger brother, since you're such an idiot." Ian looked confused for a minute before he realized what I was planning.

"Z, I don't know if I could pretend to be your br―"

"I'll let you call me Izzy."

He tilted his head, as if considering the offer. "Alright, I guess I could try."

I sighed, shaking my head. "They're almost here," I whispered. "Just please, _please_ don't mess this up."

I guess something in my face convinced him that this was serious, because he nodded once before turning in the direction that he knew the Cullens were going to come from. He visibly relaxed his stance before grinning like an idiot.

"Long time no see, Izzy!" he exclaimed, giving me a big hug. _Don't slap him, you'll ruin all of it, Bella. Don't. Slap. Him._

Reluctantly, I returned his hug, reminding myself that this was supposed to be my younger brother.

"Hey, Ian," I said softly as I stepped out of the hug. My steady voice surprised even myself, and Ian nodded, confirming that I was doing well.

If it weren't for my tracking ability, I wouldn't have noticed the Cullens coming to a silent stop in front of us.

"Bella?" Alice said slowly, announcing her presence. I turned to her, my face breaking out into a big smile.

"Alice!" I suddenly remembered how we had just been hunting. I frowned. "Sorry about earlier―"

"It's fine," she said, shaking her head. Her eyes looked over Ian. "Who's this?"

I noticed how tense Edward looked, and how Jasper was trying to analyze every aspect of Ian's behavior, probably to determine if he was a threat.

"This is Ian," I said, introducing him. "He's my younger brother."

Edward visibly relaxed at the news that he was my brother. _But why would he even care?_ I pushed away the stray thought.

Alice smiled, now excited. "Really? You have a brother?"

"Well, not _technically_… we ran into each other a few decades ago, and ever since then I've always thought of him as a brother."

"Oh my gosh, can he come visit?" She turned to Ian. "You don't have to stay for long, it's just that we barely run into vampires here, and it's really fun getting to know each other!"

I laughed at Alice's enthusiasm. Ian, however, looked puzzled. "Your eyes are different," he observed. "Why?"

Alice shook her head. "Let's talk about it at our house. Come on!"

"Wait, house?"

I punched Ian in the shoulder. Not enough to hurt, though. I'd do that when we were finally alone. "Questions once we get there."

He smirked. "Lead the way, sis."

_Do. Not. Slap. Him._


End file.
